With eight people to feed, I’m all about easy. Nothing’s easier than dumping ingredients into my Crock-Pot in the morning and having dinner done. The bonus is we get to smell it all day! Make it even easier on yourself by using a Crock-Pot liner so clean-up will be a breeze. These are six crazy easy recipes my family loves. I hope yours will, too.

#1 Beef or chicken tacos

This is so easy, it’s really not a recipe. But that’s what we need, right? A quick, healthy dinner that everyone loves.

For my family of 8, I add three pounds of round steak or one bag of rinsed frozen chicken breasts and two regular-sized cans of diced tomatoes with green chiles to the crock-pot on low for 8-10 hours. I end up with taco meat for one dinner and one lunch. If you don’t have tomatoes with green chiles, you can add salsa or plain tomatoes with a packet of taco seasoning. It’s impossible to mess this up.

Serve with taco shells, tortillas, or with lettuce for a salad. Add your favorite Mexican garnishes.

Note: Adding a cup of warm water to frozen meat prevents food safety problems when Crock-Pot cooking. A can refers to the standard size (i.e., 10.5 oz. soup can).

#2 BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Staying with the ridiculously easy theme, BBQ chicken sandwiches are what I serve when I’ve already had tacos and I don’t know what else to make. It’s a fabulous option for entertaining as well.

For 8 servings, just add a bag of rinsed, frozen chicken breasts with a bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Shred with two forks or use the paddle attachment on your mixer. Serve with the bread of your choice. This would make a great salad, too.

#3 Chicken and Dumplings

Few meals are as comforting as this dish! And what’s even more comforting is that you can prepare it in no time.

To serve 8, add 4 chicken breasts (frozen are ok), 2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup, 2 T butter, and one finely diced onion. I love my onion chopper for this purpose. Cover with water.

Cook for 4.5 hours on high if using fresh chicken or 5.5 if using frozen. Add two 10-ounce cans of refrigerated biscuit dough torn in pieces to the top and continue to cook about 30 minutes or until dough is cooked through.

#4 Lemon or Lime Garlic Chicken

I found the recipe pictured above on Pinterest and it was easy enough that my husband could make it. That makes it a winner right there! The chicken is moist and delicious. And did I mention it was easy?

#5 French Dip Sandwiches

I made this recipe the first time for company (I know, dumb), and fortunately, it was a hit. I’ve since purchased the little dishes for the au jus for my family and I feel all ooh-la-la even though the cooking was effortless.

For my family of 8, I add a 3-pound beef roast trimmed of fat, 1 can condensed French onion soup, 1 can condensed beef consumme, 1 can beef broth, and 1 tsp. beef bullion (or one cube). If you can’t find the consumme, another can of beef broth works fine. Cook on low 8 hours. Shred with fork or using mixer with paddle attachment. Serve on French rolls with a side of au jus.

#6 Award-Winning Chili

Most of the time I prefer easy, but I’m a competitive person, too. So when my neighbor and I were vying for the title of champion chili maker, I pulled out all the ingredients. There are times when you just have to do that!

I used the Boilermaker Tailgate Chili recipe from AllRecipes.com and subbed turkey sausage and made it in the crock-pot. I won’t lie to you. This recipe isn’t hard to make, but it took a long time. The result? A blue ribbon for me! Save this recipe for the times you want to impress.

Dr. Melanie Wilson is a Christian psychologist turned homeschooling mother of six. She blogs at Psychowith6 where she shares her crazy easy Once-and-for-All Meal Plan ebook with subscribers.

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